This week we’re talking about men’s clothing: What is up with what some guys wear? What should they wear? What’s good and bad? (Guys: read on! Please! It will make you happy! There are several football references!)JC: Can we talk about berets? I saw a bad beret incident in the library the other day. It was on a guy, too.
EP: Guys and accessories: generally a tricky road to walk. Especially hats. Berets might not be the best choice. However, baseball caps are also overrated. It’s like, if you have bad hair, fix it — don’t just cover it up!
AA: So many guys hide their hair, but whether it’s because you are used to wearing a hat or because you are unhappy with how your hair turned out that day, sometimes it’s perfectly acceptable to let your hair flow free and wild. By taking off the hat, guys can show admirers that no, there isn’t a scary bald spot or crazy dye-job underneath that hat — just a gorgeous head of hair.
DW: What about shoes? Also, button-down shirts don’t have to be saved for special occasions, though several guys on this campus do know this.
EP: Okay, did you know that some guys do not know how to wear sweaters and button-downs as a combination? It’s a good one though — and clearly a better choice than sweatpants. On that note: more guys should wear T-shirts and jeans when “dressing down” instead of resorting to sweats. Especially the same old athletic sweatpants day after day after day….
KW: As most people probably know, I’m morally opposed to sweatpants in public. They are meant for the gym. If my boyfriend wore them to class or wherever, we would need to have a serious conversation. Also, on a side note, white undershirts are not acceptable as shirts.
EP: You know what is bad: white tanks like that under unbuttoned shirts. Luckily for everyone on earth, it doesn’t occur a lot anymore.
KW: I realize that for many guys at Lawrence, dress pants do not even register as an option unless absolutely necessary. So then why is it that when they are forced to dress up, guys end up wearing pleated pants — a major faux-pas. Perhaps they should be against some national dress code.
JC: I’m having this harsh realization that I genuinely do not notice some guys unless what they’re wearing is so heinous that it brings tears to my eyes. Case in point: I think it is imperative to wear clothes that fit. I am terrified of the winter coat with elastic waist band combo with beret on a guy..
AA: I’m going back to the sweatpants comment: I understand that they are comfy and all that, but I believe that people feel better in general when they have taken time with their appearance, which would make Lawrence both a happier and prettier place. Now I think we should talk about guys’ shoes, because of the large number of guys who fall victim to the white puffy basketball shoe. Streamlined shoes are the way to go, mainly because they will make your feet look better instead of bigger. I’m pretty sure that Lawrence boys do pretty well in this department, though.
DW: I agree. You know what else guys should do with their shoes? Tie the laces. I haven’t noticed a lot of this going on lately (or maybe I’ve just become desensitized to it), but it’s simply unattractive when you hear and see guys shuffling into a room because they haven’t taken one minute of their time to tie the laces.
Pause for ALL of us to realize that we are inciting the gods of Fashion Karma against us.or possibly a sizeable portion of the male population of Lawrence.
AA: Let’s come up with some good stuff to say, such as how Lawrentians are so versatile with layers. I’ve seen some sweet get-ups like this lately.
EP: Guys who do stuff right. Let’s see: tucked in shirts with appropriately well-fitting pants. It’s not hard to put together a good look if you have the right basics, and this is something that I think is often lost on men.
EG: I definitely think writing about what guys do right is a good thing. For example, well-fitting jeans on a guy are extremely attractive.
EP: Guys, buy good jeans. Grab a female friend to take with you, or take notice of the men’s fashion advice in magazines before heading to the mall (note: Tom Brady is gorgeous, has a supermodel girlfriend, AND wears good jeans!). Jeans should hug in the right places, and should fit just above the hip bone, if not right on it. Baggy jeans are no longer in for men, neither are waistbands falling around the knees. On a similar note, super-skinny jeans can be a challenging look (depending on how indie or emo you’re feeling). Jeans should also be dark: universally flattering, universally in style. Dark jeans will be in style forever. Torn-up jeans will not.
AA: I agree with you about dark jeans! This is a little-known fact about jeans: if they are dark, you can pretty much get away with wearing anything you want on top.
EG: I also really like guys who know how to properly wear hats. To get back to Jen’s beret comment, I’ve seen a few guys pull off those floppy berets, but there’s also a fine line here. I feel like you already need to have the ‘semi-bohemian/emo’ look going to do the beret.
KW: I think that outerwear is pretty important, too. There are a few guys I’ve seen around who wear nice jackets, pea coats for example. Especially when paired with a nice scarf. Never underestimate the power of outerwear. Please guys, wear a grown-up coat, and not some sort of jacket proclaiming your favorite sports team.
AA: I’ve seen some fashion-forward guys on campus wearing pea coats or just nice-looking black or brown coats, and it makes them look mature and handsome. I don’t want to make anyone throw their Packers or Patriots jacket out, but maybe those should be saved for special occasions (like game day).
EP: Good job with the strategically placed football references, all. Women know stuff about more than just clothes!